Self-fitting and ventilating device for headwear.



Y W. C. BENSLEYI SELF FITTING AND VENTILATING DEVICE FOR HE'ADWEAR.

APPLICATION FILEDIJJEC. II, I916;

PatentedJulyi31, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEETJ.

lit/0191170 r,-

W. C. BENSLEY.

SELF FITTING AND VENTILAT ING DEVICE FOR HEADWEAR'.

APPLICATION HLED 0150.11. 1916.

Patented July 31, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.'

W. C. BENSLEY.

iSELF FITTING AND VENTILATING DEVICE FOR HEADWEAH.

APPLICATION FILED 050.11. 191's.

15235,002. 4 Pat-entd July 31, 1917.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

w. c.- B ENSLEY. SELF FITTING AND VENTILATING DEVICE FOR HEADWEAR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-'lh I9l6- Patented J uly31, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

7;? 14m ZarZ-i'jezzsZy' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM CHARLES BENSLEY, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM OF I-IAWKES & COMPANY LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

SELF-FITTING AND VENTILATING DEVICE FOR HEADWEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 31, 1917.

Application filed December 11, 1916. Serial No. 136,180.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM CHARLES BnNsLnY, a subject of the King of England, residing at London, in England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Fitting and Ventilating Devices for Headwear, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to all kinds of headwear such as hats, helmets and the like and comprises improvements in self-fitting and ventilating means therefor of that type which include a resilient lining or head fitting band provided with a series of more or less elastic tongues connected at one end to the band and extending therefrom with the other ends bearing directly or indirectly against the inside of the headwear, the band and tongues together forming the self-fitting and ventilating device.

According to one form of the present invention the tongues are formed of separate pieces of metal or other resilient material preferably bent to increase their resiliency and attached at one end, as by rivets to the band and at their outer ends again attached, also as by rivets, to the inside or inner edge of the headwear or to a second metal or other band or ring insertible into the headwear, the tongues being arranged vertically or horizontally or substantially so.

A further feature of the invention consists in a particularconstruction by which the whole device may be readily attached to the headwear for which purpose the device is provided at suitable points of its periphery, say at four such points, with projecting lugs formed integrally therewith or secured thereto as by riveting, these lugs extending from the device in the required direction and being bent if necessary to lie closely against the inside of the headwear preferably against the underside of the brim thereof to which they are secured by rivets or the like passed through holes in the lugs and in the headwear or brim thereof.

A further feature of the invention consists in forming the tongues in one or integrally with the lugs by which the device is attached to the headwear, said lugs being spaced around the inside of the head-wear at desired intervals and secured thereto as above stated or being extended to the outside edge or periphery of the brim and bent over and clamped to said edge.

The lugs are bent to form the tongues or their equivalents and the inner ends of these latter are attached to the resilient lining band as by means of rivets or otherwise and thus secure said lining band to the headwear at a sufficient distance from the interior thereof to afford requisite ventilation and allow resilient movement of the band in fitting it to the head.

A still further feature of the invention consists in securing the lining band to the headwear by means of one or more bands, strips or the like of webbing or other textile or flexible material attached to the device and passing inward close to the crown of the headwear to which it is secured at the center or other point or points and, where more than one of said securing bands or strips are used, they may cross one another and be attached to each other and to the crown at their intersection, preferably at the center of said crown.

The constructions described while applicable to head-wear generally are especially adapted for use with steel or other metal military helmets now extensively used by troops in the field and provide strong and resilient linings for such helmets, the resilient band being if desired also provided with a leather or other lining to render the device comfortable in wear.

Embodiments of the invention are illus trated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a plan view of the interior of a metal military helmet with a self-fitting and ventilating device according to the present invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a section of Fig. 1 on the line 22.

Fig. 3 is a partial plan View similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form of the selffitting and ventilating device and Fig. A is a partial section thereof on the line k4 of Fig. 3. I

To first refer to Figs. 1 and 2, adesignates a conventional form of steel military helmet having a brim a and crown a and within the interior of which is fitted a self-fitting and ventilating device comprising a resilient head fitting band Z2 formed of any a propriate material such as felt, metal, buc (ram or the like shown as surrounded by a band of leather 6 and a sweat band or lining c as of leather to which is attached a textile partial crown lining (Z. Secured to the band 5 as by rivets e is a plurality of flat metal tongues f the outer ends of which are secured also as by rivets g to a metal ring it which fits closely within the interior of the headwear near the brim 66, there being shown interposed between said ring 71, and the headwear a packing strip of material 2' such as of cork, rubber or the like to assist in absorbing shock when the helmet is struck by a missile. The tongues are also shown as surrounded by tubular members j such as of rubber, this being done merely for pro tection and being optional. The metal ring it is shown as rigidly attached to the brim a of the helmet by means of lugs 73, spaced at suitable intervals around its periphery, said lugs being attached to the ring as by rivets Z and to the underside of the brim of the helmet by other rivets m the lugs, ring and brim being suitably perforated for the purpose, but obviously the lugs may be integral with the ring if desired.

As a further or alternative means of securing the device to the headwear there is also shown a series of bands, strips or equivalents 'n, such as of leather or other flexible material firmly attached at each end to the metal ring it as by rivets n and crossing or intersecting each other at the center of the crown a? of the helmet to which they are firmly secured as by a rivet 0 traversing the usual hole here provided, a strengtheningwasher p being shown as covering the crossing points inside the crown. The rivet 0 may be replaced by a bolt and nut or other suitable fastening means.

It will thus be seen that the device may be attached to the headwear either by the lugs 70 alone or by the strips n alone or by both these elements together according to requirements or facilities at hand.

In the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the main elements of the device are the same as in Figs. 1 and 2 and include the resilient band Z), sweat band or lining c, crown lining (Z, tongues f, metal ring it, packing strip 71 and tongue covers j but it will be seen that the lugs 70 are omitted and the device is held in the headwear by means of a series of flexible straps orloops p as of textile material secured to the metal ring it around its periphery and a further series of similar loops 9 attached to a central disk 9 also as of textile material which is secured to the crown of the headwear as by a rivet r or other means above mentioned with reference to the rivet 0. The said two series of loops are interconnected by a lacing cord or the like 8 passed through the upper and lower loops alternately thus at the same time forming an attaching means for the device similar to that produced by the bands or straps n of Figs. 1 and 2.

WVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A self-fitting and ventilating device for head-wear comprising a metal ring adapted to closely fit the interior of the headwear, a resilient head-fitting band spaced from said ring, a plurality of fiat resilient metal tongues directly connected at opposite ends to said ring and band respectively said metal ring, head fitting band and tongues forming a detachable unitary structure and means for attaching said ring to the headwear including a plurality of lugs on the ring and rivets traversing said lugs and the headwear.

2. A self-fitting and ventilating device for headwear comprising a metal ring adapted to closely fit the interior of the headwear, a resilient head-fitting band spaced from said ring, a plurality of fiat resilient metal tongues directly connected at opposite ends to said ring and band re spectively, said metal ring, head fitting band and tongues forming a detachable unitary structure and means for attaching said ring to the headwear including a plurality of flexible bands secured to the metal ring and attachable to the crown of the headwear.

8. A self-fitting and ventilating device for headwear comprising a metal ring adapted to closely fit the interior of the headwear, a resilient head-fitting band spaced from said'ring, a plurality of flat resilient metal tongues-directly connected at opposite ends to said ring and band respectively, said metal ring, head fitting band and tongues forming a detachable unitary structure and means for attaching said ring to the headwear including a plurality of flexible strips secured to the ring and crossing each other adjacent the crown of the headwear, and means for detachably connecting said strips to the crown.

In witness whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM CHARLES BENSLEY.

\Vitnesses:

A. J. HADDAN, P. AoAsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

